Hybrid readers are presently commercially available from the assignee of the present patent application as Model-160. The structural components of such a hybrid reader as well as it's operation are described in copending patent application Ser. No. 07/971,190 filed Nov. 3, 1992 for the present inventor.
The hybrid reader disclosed in the above mentioned patent application includes a slot into which a smart card or a magnetic stripe card is inserted. A sensor, located near the mouth of the slot signals a controller that a card has entered the slot. The controller responds to interrogate the reader to determine if the card includes contacts (i.e. if it is a smart card). If the reader responds positively, the controller activates a latch which impacts upon the exposed edge of the card and controls the final positioning of the (smart) card with respect to terminals on a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned within the reader.
Model-160 employs a flex cable which comprises a pattern of conductive stripes formed on a Mylar.TM. or Kapton.TM. substrate as is well understood in the art. The flex cable is connected between the terminals on the PCB and the contacts which connect to the contacts on the card when the card is in position within the reader. The flex cable is common to all smart card readers and hybrid readers known to the applicant.
But readers employing flex cables are subject to breakdown and loss of data occurs as a result. Also, the readers are relatively expensive primarily due to the use of the flex cable. The relatively high cost is due to the fact that an extra connector is necessary to connect the cable to the PCB. Not only is the connector expensive but it is subject to breakage. The cable itself also is subject to breakage, in continuous use, and requires extra labor to manufacture.